Since the designation of the Ipswich River as one of the Most Endangered Rivers in America, several graduate school students have rallied to the cause and selected the plight of our river as the topic of their graduate theses. All four have been particularly drawn to the policy implications of the outdated water withdrawal rules in Massachusetts. Under the current rules, more than 90% of withdrawals are exempt from any water conservation requirements and are the cause of the river’s endangered status.
Samantha Beck and Sara Amish, students at the Harvard Kennedy School of Public Policy, explored current Massachusetts Water Policy and made recommendations for reform. Under the guidance of legendary professor Mark Fagan, Sam and Sara took a deep dive into the Water Management Act and interviewed dozens of players to come up with a suite of policy and programmatic improvements.
Hamilton native Tova Crystal is a graduate student focusing on water management and governance at in the Netherlands. She wrote a paper on the institutional aspects of water-sharing and the fascinating relationship between institutional behaviors that have contributed to the parochial-dominated approach to the management of Ipswich River water. Tova concluded that the independent, go-it-alone approach to governance in Massachusetts is a big barrier to the change that is needed to properly manage this shared resource.
Topsfield Native, active member, and legislative expert Michael Searles worked to explore water supply alternatives for the Town of Topsfield. Mike looked at all the alternatives available for individual towns to share water so they can increase water supply resiliency in the face of supply shortages and the threat of contamination. Mike’s work was an inspiration for the larger study being conducted on the same topic amongst all the communities in the lower Ipswich Basin and led by the Town of Hamilton.
The results of all three studies have helped significantly to inform the water policy initiatives in the #EndangeredIpswich Campaign, and have provided a road map for finally making the change needed to fix out outdated water rules. Their terrific work shows just how pivotal new voices are, and with a little support what amazing results can be achieved. Thank you Sara, Sam, Tova and Michael!